Statements for the press before Russian-Austrian talks

President of The Republic of Austria Heinz FischerFischer Heinz(retranslated): Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome President Putin on his official visit to Austria.

We are going to discuss a broad range of issues and will try to make the best use of the allocated time. It would be very gratifying if we could find common ground regarding the crisis in Ukraine. This would be good for our two countries and for all of Europe.

We will first have a one-on-one meeting, to be followed by a working dinner with members of Parliament and the Government. There will be a news conference after that, a meeting with the Federal Chancellor of Austria and another meeting at the Austrian Economic Chamber.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: I would like to begin by thanking Mr President for the invitation. There are many issues we have to work on together.

As for the more acute issues, including the problems around Ukraine, I am sure our position coincides on some, while others require clarification and agreement, but that can only be achieved through dialogue.

Therefore, I would like to thank Mr President for his readiness and willingness to discuss all of these issues.

There are economic issues to discuss as well: we are successfully developing economic ties and enhancing our trade. In addition, we should not leave out the humanitarian aspect of our relations that goes back into history.